Question

a) Two objects with the same mass move toward each other with the same speed and experience a head-on elastic collision (angle = 180^o). Will their final velocities be the same? Why?

b)Two objects moving toward each other (angle = 180^o) with different momentums produce an inelastic collision. In what condition will both objects move to the left after the collision.

Answer 1

answer)a) yes their final velocities will be same.

its because in elastic collision the kinetic energy is conserved which means none of the energy is lost which means the velocity at the time of collision and after remains unchanged.

b) if the object which is coming from the right has a greater mass, then after colliding with the object at left it moves in the left direction because more mass means more momentum so the final direction of both the objects will be left.